hoyer



(No Model.) 6` Sheets-Sheet 1.

E'. BOYER. PAPER FEBDING MACHINE. No. 556,351.- .Patented Malga. 17 18? amv VMM .m

lNo Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.' F. BOYER.

PAPER FEEDING MAGHINE.-

No. 556,351. PatentedMar.' 17, 1895.

.ANDREW B GRANAMJNUTULITMQWASHINGTDN DC (No Model.) 6 Sheets- Sheet 3..

F. BOYER. :PAPER PBBDING- MACHINE.

No. 556,351. Patented Mar. 1'7

(No Model.) l 5 5 sheets-sheet 4.

Flv BUYER.

PAPER vPBEDING MACHINE, No. 555,351. Patented M51. 17,1896.

, Y .A k

CS 7K l l m5'. Il,

(No Model.) 6 sheets-`slheet 5. F. BOYER.

PAPER FEEDING MACHINE. l

` PatentedMar. 1.7,' 1896. *u

v 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

F. BOYER. PAPER PEEDING MACHINE.

No. 555,351. Patented M5151?, 1895.

MJNUTQ-LITHQWASNINGTDMUC ySO UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE` FREDERICK I-IOYER, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAD.

PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,351, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed May 28, 1895.

To aZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIC/K IIOYER, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Paper to Printing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to machines for feeding paper from a pile, sheet by sheet, to printing-machines, wherein the picking up of the sheets is effected by the pressure of the atmospheric air, which is caused to act on the under side only of the sheets, due to the creation of a partial vacuum within a trunk disposed above the pile and having apertures in it above the surface of the uppermost sheet, the action being that when the trunk is moved closelyT to the upper sheet the flow and pressuse of air directed toward the trunk and tending to pass into the apertures therein causes the sheet to move toward it and come in contact with it. Vhen in this position the pressure of atmospheric air on the under side of the sheet, pressing it onto the trunk, holds it there, and in this position it is taken and moved by the trunk onto a means for conveying it to a point where it is registered and adjusted to the required position prior to its being taken by the ordinary grippers of the printing-machine cylinder or the like.

The chief objects in the production of this machine have been the lessening of the cost of this class of machine, the rendering of machines of this type, when combined with the printing-machine, compact relatively with those heretofore designed, and to produce a practically useful machine for general work.

In the drawings illustrating this invention, I show, in Figures 1 and 2, outside elevations of both sides of the machine. Fig. 3 is a view showing the machine in longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 is a plan of same. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively front elevation and crosssection of the blast-chest. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are views showing the side-registering device in detail. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view Serial No. 550,919. (No model.)

through the support for the side-registering finger.

Referring now to the drawings, the general and main parts of the machinery are as follows:

d is the table on which the pile bf paper to be fed to the printing-machine is carried, b being the pile thereon.

c is the horizontal trunk above referred to by which the paper, sheet by sheet, is taken up and moved and delivered from the pile.

d is the means by which a partial vacuum in the trunk c is created, consisting of an ordinary centrifugal fan, with inlet-conduit d' and discharge-conduit d?.

e is the table onto which the sheets are delivered or received from the pile h by the trunk c and by which they are conveyed to the front registers (designated f) and registered and adjusted as regards the position of their leading edges, and in which position also they are laterally registered as regards one of the side edges`by a registering device and gage, as hereinafter described.

The above parts, generally, are all well known and are common in former designs of paper-feeding machines; but that in which this invention mainly consists is the special relative disposition of the parts and their mode of action in themselves in relation to one another, whereby they act and coact to produce an efficient and perfect working machine, capable not only of feeding or dealing with sheets of paper of the stouter qualities or ch aracteristics,which, it is well known, are easily dealt with in paper-feedin g machinery, but also to deal with and feed sheets of paper of thin or soft and inferior qualities equally with the thicker and better. It is found that while a paper-feeding machine may efficiently deal with the former quality of paper it is not capable of dealing with the latter qualities and therefore is, as regards the problem of the production of a generally-serviceable invention and machine, for all practical purposes, useless.

The details of the parts essential to a complete operative combination and machine coming within this invention will now be described.

Sepumting cmd picking up the .s'zfeea-For IOO termittently applied, and the upper sheet at the same time receives, prior to its being finally lifted completely away from the pile and moved forward, a combined upward and longitudinal movement, preferably in both directions, first backward and then forward.

This blast iswdlivered Vfren "'tlblas chest g in the form of a number of air-jets, which issue from a number of holes at g in the chest g, (see more particularly Figs. 5 and 6,) with hinged regulating-shutters g2 in connection with them by which their area may be extended or reduced at will. The air required for this purpose is moved by the fan CZ, and most of it is taken through the trunk c and through a vacuum-chest in connection with the table c, hereinafter described, and this is effected by the blast-chest g being connected with the discharge LZ2 of the fan CZ by the pipe (Z4, the trunk c being connected with the inlet of the fan d by a pipe c', to which also the said vacuum-chest is connected by a pipe (Z3. Thus the complete pneumatic operations are effected by the single fan.

The pressure of the air and force or velocity of current in the trunk c and chest g and also the vacuum-chest of the front table e are adjusted or regulated in themselves and in relation to each other by valves or dampers CZ'11X in the pipe (Z4, c'X in the pipe c', and CZSX in the pipe (Z3, by regulating which and giving more or less opening to the atmosphere the amount of air flowing in and out, respectively, may readily be so adjusted as to give the said pressures and velocities of current or flow referred to above desired. In addition to this the trunk c is itself so moved as to assist in the separation of the sheets*namely, directly upon the lifting of the uppermost sheet off the pile, it is by the means hereinafter described, caused to be moved backward and then again forward, whereby a longitudinal displacing or shaking of the front part of the uppermost sheet upon the pile takes place, and by which, should any of the sheets below rise with the uppermost sheet, this peculiar action of the trunk causes it or them to be separated, whereupon it or they will fall onto the pile below.

A further detail in connection with the separation of the sheets is a plate or board g'Vp hinged te the front ofthe chest g, by which the jets of air coming from the apertures g in the face of the chest g are directed onto the front edges of the pile of paper. This bar or board is adapted to be moved upward about its hinge, as hereinafter described, out of the way when the sheet is being lifted upwardl by the trunk c.

The action of air-jets from the chest g upon the front edges of the pile of paper is, as

stated, an intermittent onethat is, the jets are supplied and cut off a plurality of times in each cycle of action of the machine. For instance, the blast is in action when the trunk c first begins to rise after the sheet has become attached to it. Then it is shut oif when the trunk has been raised a little-say a half inch to one inch-from the pile and remains oif until the trunk begins its final lifting and forward motion, during which time any sheet which may have been lifted with the uppermost sheet and falls or becomes shaken oif or separated by the trunk action just described will be allowed to fall evenly onto the pile and become quiescent thereon. Then the trunk begins to make its final movement upward and forward, the air is again directed onto the front edges of the pile, after which it is again shut off about when the trunk begins to move forward, and it is kept ofi' during the forward-and-backward movement of the trunk until it assumes its position over the uppermost sheet of the pile prior to the picking-up action taking place. The air-blast is again turned on just prior to the lowering of the trunk onto the pile, so as to blow onto the front edges of the pile, and then the blast is again shut oif while the sheet is being picked up pneumatieally. The sheets at the top ofthe pile are allowed to settle and become even and in the condition necessary to enable the pneumatic pickin g-up action to be made with certainty.

The complete upward and forward path traveled by the trunk c is indicated by the dark dotted line marked in Fig. 3, and the backward and downward path is thc same with this exception, that the backward and forward movement taking place in the former action, when just moving up from the pile of paper, does not take place in this stroke, but moves straight down onto the pile.

As regards the trunk-moving mechanism, this consists of two cams 7L mounted upon the main driving-shaft ZL of the machine outside, and at each side of the frames Z, which carry the mechanism; levers j hinged at j to the side frames 'L' and operated by the cams 7L through rollers j'X, upright connecting-rods 7c, connecting the end of the trunk c and the end of the levers j together and acting as supports to the" trunk; arms Z, mounted on the shafts Z at one end and connected up with the connecting-rods k at the others by blocks Z2 sliding in the slots Zt in the rods Zt; an arm Z"s having a roller Z4 also mounted en the shaft Z', and a cam m mounted on the shaft ZZ and acting upon the arm Z3. The cams hand the cam m are of the form shown in the drawings and are disposed on their shafts in the relative positions illustrated. Their positions as given, with regard to the peints of their strokes or cycles of operation, are these at the point where the trunk c is in its lowermost position. The actions of these cams and the parts connected with the trunk are that the cams 7L effect the direct lifting, `while IOO IIO

the cam m effects the longitudinal movement forward and backward of the trunk-that is to say, the trunk is lifted and lowered by the cams h through the levers j and upright connecting-rods k, while the forward and backward movement of the trunk is effected by the arms l acting on the connecting-rods 7o through the blocks Z2, these being moved by the cam m operating upon the arm Z3 and shaft Z' and give the forward and backward movement. The combined actions of these parts is to cause the trunk c to move along the path indicated by the dotted linea (shown in Fig. 3) above referred to-namely, the trunk c receives, at first, movement upward, but almost simultaneously a movement also backward, then a. forward and upward movement, then an upward movement, and finally a forward and downward movement, the position Yof the trunk at the extremity of this forward and feeding stroke being represented in dotted lines in Fig. l. The return stroke is substantially similar, except that in making its back stroke it does not move over the part of the path where the backward and forward motion of the lifting action takes place, but moves practically straight downward onto the pile of paper.

It may conveniently be here stated that the bar or plate g3 is worked about its hingethat is, lifted and lowered simultaneously with the lifting and lowering of the rods 7f3-fit being acted upon by the vertical rod g4, the end of which bears on its under side, and at its lower end is carried and worked fromk one of the levers j by an extension on the end thereof beyond the point at which the bar la is mounted.

The intermittent blast action above referred to is effected by opening and closing the bottom of the chest g,and this is effected by hinging this bottom g5 at one edge, as shown, and employing tappets gG mounted on a shaft gi at each side of the machine, the ends `of which bear upon the under side of the bottom g5. Then by rocking the shaft Q7 on its axis the opening and closing is carried out. This rocking of the shaft is effected by a cam g8 on the shaft Il, working a rod Q9 connected at its upper end to the shaft gT by an arm glo thereon. Obviously as this cam gs is provided with a number of rises and falls or recesses corresponding with the periods of shutting off and supplying of the blast above described, the intermittent opening and closing of the blast-chest bottom g5 and the various dura-y tions thereof will takeplace. The said intermittent action of the air-blast is essential to the proper manipulation of the paper. For instance, when the paper is lifted slightly at its leading edge the air-blast directed between this lifted edge and the pile serves to separate or loosen the sheet from the pile in rear of the point at which the pneumatic device grips the paper, and further than this the air-blast combined with the backward movement of the trunk after the trunk has raised slightly from the pile will separate any additional sheets which may have been lifted with the top sheet and allow the same to settle onto the pile. This loosening havingbeen effected, the air-blast has accomplished its purpose and is turned off and allows the mechanical movement of the paper upward. Then when the combined upward and forward movement of the suction-trunk takes place the loosening of the paper in rear of the leading edge is again maintained by turning on the air-blast, and as the paper gets in movement the blast is cut off, as it is sufficient only to effect the loosening until the paper gets in motion, when the air-blast is no longer necessary.

The loosening of the upper sheets of the pile just prior to the gripping of the top sheet by the trunk is performed by another short blast of air, and this loosens the sheets, so that they will settle quietly into place ready to be picked up by the trunk.

'As regards the delivery of the paper from :the pile'b, sheet by sheet,'0nto the tablel c by the trunk c, the action is that when the trunk with a sheet is moved to the position shown dotted in Fig. l over the upper part of the table ethe sheet is released by the trunk and then taken in charge of by the mechanism connected with this table, carried down same, registered both longitudinally and laterally, and presented to the cylinder or grippers of the printing-machine, by which it is carried away in the ordinary way. vIn theL mechanism or means in connection with this table for effecting this there are provided traveling tapes fn, carried by pulleys n on the shaft n2 (which is supported and running in the side frames 1' and suitably driven) and by a roller n3 carried in the lower end of the table e, a vacuum-chest o with apertures in its upper side and rods o' on either side of the same, and side-registering devices p on the table e. The function of the chest ois to cause the sheet to be pressed onto the upper surfaces of the tapes n; but these and the sheet are prevented from coming in contact with the surface of the chest o by the rods o', the upper surfaces of which stand just above the level of o, and thus while the necessary friction between the surface of the sheet and the tapes is provided the sheet is kept from coming in contact with and getting deranged by all stationary parts except the tops of the rods o. In action the front part of the sheet having been taken charge of by the tapes by atmospheric pressure, due to the partial vacuum in o, acting thereon, it is carried down the table e by the tapes to the ordinary exist-` ing front gages f of the printing-machine. Then when here the side-registering devices p come into action and register or adjust the sheetlaterally, after which by a suitable stop mechanism of any known form the motion of the tapes is stopped and the sheet remains quiescent upon the table e. When said table with the sheet thereon is lifted by the usual IOO IIC

means, (such as by arms q mounted on the printing-machine at either side in the usual way,) the front gages drop and the sheet is which the traction sidewise of the sheets is aroduced consists of afnfrer 9 consisting of 'india-rubber, practically straight throughout and carried at an inclination in relation to the axis of its actuating shaft, as shown. This finger is carried by a plate p2, acting as a socket, and having adjusting-screws p3 passing loosely through a plate p4, supported and fixed upon the spindle p5, said screwsbeing passed through milled thumb-nuts 116, by which they are worked up and down, while springs p7 between the plates p2 and p4, and surrounding the screws p3, keep the socketplate p2 pressed out from the plate 134, but not rigidly-4i. e., this construction, While it provides for positive adjustment, also provides for automatic adjustment or back movement of the finger p and its carrier p2, and so provides a very sensitive touch and action, which is essential. The spindle p5 is carried by the brackets p8, the base psx of which p rests on the table e and is fastened thereon by thethumb-screws p9 screwing into threaded holes e in the table e, and the whole device is also supported at its upper part by its side plates p10, through which the actuating-shaft o' passes, such shaft being supported and adapted to revolve in a bracket-bearing `r2 at and on each side of the table e. The spindle p5 is rotated by the bevel-wheel 29'- thereon and the bevel-wheel p12 mounted on and worked bythe shaft r. The shaft o' has a keyway o" in it, in which a key or feather fixed in the pinion p12 slides, whereby the devices can be moved to and worked at any point on the table desired. In action, assuming the shaft r to be rotated, it will be plain the finger p/ will be rotated about its spindle p5, and assuming the edge of a sheet to lie between it and the surface of the table and tapes, by its rotation in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9 the friction of the end of the rubber iingerp upon the sheet will move it up to the front edge at p13 of the bracket p8 of the registering device, and thus adjust or register the sheet laterally or sidewise in the desired position. An extension of the bracket p8 is provided by a bar p14 at t-he lower part, projecting therefrom so as to provide a prolonged adjusting edge or surface against which the edge of the sheet is pressed by the finger. The shaft r is rotated in the bracket r2 by a pitch-chain and sprocket-wheels s s s2, the latter of which is mounted on a bracket s3 on the table e, and on the shaft of which a spur-wheel s4 is mounted, which gears with the sp ur-wheel r3 on the shaft fr. There are two of these registering devices, one for each side of the machine, as shown,

Vone being used for registering the one side and the other for the other side.

t are bars mounted on the shaft t fixed on the table e. These bars stand just above the y surface of the table, and the sheets pass between their under surface and the upper surface of the table and tapes, and are for the purpose of preventing puckerin g or buckling of the sheets.

lVhat is claimed in respect of the hereinl. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of the table for the paper pile, a pneumatic device for gripping the paper sheets and lifting them from the pile, means for giving the said device a combined upward, backward and then a forward movement to deposit the sheets, an air-blast means directed against the edges of the sheets and controlled to blow onto the sheets intermittingly, the said backward movement of the pneumatic device taking place after the same has lifted the sheet and said sheet has been subjected to the air-blast substantially as described.

2. In a paper-feeding mechanism, the combination of the table for the paper pile, a pneumatic device for gripping the paper sheets and lifting the same from the pile, means for giving the said device a combined upward, backward and then forward and upward movement over the point of discharging the sheet, and air-blast means arranged to blow onto the edges of the paper sheets intermittingly, the said backward movementof the pneumatic device taking place after the same has lifted the sheet and said sheet has been subjected to the air-blast substantially as described.

In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of the table for the paper pile, a pneumatic device for gripping the paper sheets at their leading edge and lifting the same from the pile, means for giving the said device a combined upward and backward movement, air-blast means and controlling mechanism therefor arranged to cut off the air-blast when the sheet has been raised a slight distance, the said backward movement of the pneumatic device taking place after the same has lifted the sheet and said sheet has been subjected to the air-blast substantially as described.

4. In combination in a paper-feedingmechanism, the table for holding the paper sheets, a pneumatic device for gripping the upper sheet at its leading edge, means for operating the said device upward and backward and giving the same a further upward movement but in a forward direction and then lowering the said device to the place of deposit, and air-blast means with means for controlling' the same to blow onto the edge of the sheet when first raised, then ceasing said blast when the sheet has been raised slightly from the pile then blowing again onto the edge of the sheet when the combined upward and forward IOO IIO

movement takes place, then cutting off the blast as the sheet is moved forward, then blowing onto the edge of the pile prior to the gripping of a new sheet and then cutting off the blast while the gripping of the new sheet is being performed, substantially as described.

5. In a paper-feeding machine for feeding sheets of paper sheet by sheet from a pile, the combination of a pneumatic lifting-trunk c, by which the sheets of paper are lifted and delivered, a table c onto which said sheets are delivered by the trunk, a vacuum-chest o in the top end of said table e; fan d; pipes c', d3, connecting said trunk and vacuum-chamber with the fan-inlet; a valve dsx on said pipes by which free opening of adjustable area between said pipe and the atmosphere is made, and more or less air admitted thereto; and the pressure of vacuum regulated; a blast-chest g disposed along the edges of the pile; a pipe d4 connectin g said blast-chest and the fan; and a valve @4X on the said pipe by which a free opening of adjustable area between said pipe and the atmosphere is made, and more or less air admitted thereto,whereby the pressure and volumes and velocity of air entering and existing in the dierent parts, and induction and eduetion operations are adjusted.

6. In a machine for feeding paper to printing-machines, a registering device adapted to register sheets on the registering-table e, comprising a straight iinger p', held in a suitable carrier and adapted to be revolved in a plane at right angles to the direction of motion of the sheets, and having springs interposed between the finger and the driving-carrier, and adj listing-screws p3 and nuts p6, by which the distance of the finger-tip from the axis of rotation can be adjusted.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK I-IOYER. Witnesses:

ERNEST R. RoYsToN, FREDERICK JOHN CHEEsBRoUGH. 

